Impact attenuating glove construction

ABSTRACT

Gloves having an impact attenuation region are provided. The impact attenuation region includes a soft or medium soft durometer knuckle guard that overlies a foam layer. Together, the foam layer and the knuckle guard attenuating an impact such that a layered glove construction is define that meets and/or exceeds standards employed in the field, e.g., EN 13594: 2015 and/or ANSI/ISEA 138-2019.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/676,571, filed May 25, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to protective gloves. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to protective gloves structured to attenuate impacts in accordance with standards employed in the field.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gloves provide protection during various activities. General-purpose protective gloves account for the largest market share of all personal protective equipment (PPE) sold and these gloves are designed to protect the hands of wearers against various hazards while providing the desired level of dexterity to perform the activities for which general-purpose protective gloves are used.

Standards exist to guide the purchase of gloves. The standards inform a consumer of the characteristics of the gloves so that the consumer can select appropriate gloves for any particular application. One such standard is EN 388, which is designed to increase the likelihood that the gloves, while being comfortable to wear, also reduce the likelihood of harm to the wearer. Another such standard is ANSI/ISEA 138-2019, which is designed to establish testing, classification and labeling requirements that offer back-of-the-hand impact protection, wherein compliant gloves are evaluated for their capability to dissipate impact forces on the knuckles and fingers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When it comes to work gloves for mechanical risks and industrial applications, EN 388: 2016 measures the ability of the glove to protect working hands against abrasions, lacerations, tearing, punctures, and impact injuries. Each test set forth in EN 388: 2016 produces a performance rating based on progressive protection levels. The higher the number or letter rating, the greater the protection provided. This allows the wearer or health and safety professional to choose a set of gloves with a performance rating that is best suited for a particular environment and task.

Clause 6.6 of EN 388: 2016 addresses impact attenuation. A test for impact attenuation can be conducted under clause 6.9 of EN 13594: 2015. EN 13594: 2015 describes the test that can be applied to gloves that include impact protection positioned on the back of the hand. EN 13594: 2015 is designed to test the impact attenuation of a protective element of a glove with an impact energy of 5 joules.

Impact attenuation is the ability to reduce peak impact energy. The EN 13594 impact rating is determined by running a series of impact tests at multiple strike points on the glove and dividing the sum by the number of strike points. If, when using an impact energy of 5 Joules, the average transmitted force is less than, or equal to 7 kN, the gloves will receive a Level 1 PASS rating for impact attenuation. If the average impact attenuation is higher than 9 kN, the gloves will receive a Level 0 FAIL rating. In addition, in order to receive the Level 1 PASS rating, no single result can exceed 9 kN. When gloves pass the test defined by EN 13594: 2015, the gloves have been designed to successfully and safely dissipate harmful forces away from the hand, thereby providing enhanced safety for the wearers.

While gloves exist that meet the EN 13594: 2015, the existing gloves either have been found to be difficult to manufacture, expensive to manufacture, or bulky for the wearer. A need exists in the industry for gloves that meet EN 13594: 2015 while solving one or more of these issues. In some configurations, the gloves described herein are simpler to manufacture than prior gloves due at least in part to the unique layering of materials, for example. In some configurations, the gloves described herein are less expensive to manufacture because the necessary level of manual labor during manufacture of the gloves can be reduced. In some configurations, the gloves described herein are less bulky for the wearer due to the unique layering of materials used to provide the desired level of impact attenuation.

In some configurations, a protective glove is structured to provide impact attenuation suitable for standard testing, e.g., to achieve a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 and/or meet the standards set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. The protective glove may include a least one finger guard. The at least one finger guard may be connected to a knuckle guard. The at least one finger guard and the knuckle guard may be surround by a flange. The at least one finger guard, the knuckle guard and the flange may be integrally formed of a thermoplastic rubber, e.g., a soft or medium soft durometer thermoplastic rubber. An outer layer of the glove may underlie and may be secured to the at least one finger guard and the knuckle guard. The outer layer of the glove may be formed of a knitted mesh fabric. For example, the knitted mesh fabric may be made of 94% nylon and 6% spandex. A sponge layer may underlie and may be connected to the outer layer of the glove. The sponge layer may be formed of an open cell foam and may be coextensive with the outer layer of the glove. A second layer may underlie the sponge layer. For example, the second layer may be made of tricot. A foam layer may abut the second layer and may be positioned between the second layer and an inner layer. The foam layer may consist of an EVA foam. The inner layer may be made of tricot. The foam layer may be encased by a combination of the second layer and the inner layer.

In accordance with some aspects of the present invention, the foam layer may include four extensions and a main body, and the foam layer may be at least coextensive with the knuckle guard. In addition, the foam layer may extend 1-5 mm beyond a periphery of the knuckle guard. The at least one finger guard further may include a proximal flexure zone, and the four extensions may extend to a distal end of a proximal flexure zone that separates the at least one finger guard from the knuckle guard. The foam layer may be between 2 mm and 4 mm thick, e.g., 3 mm thick.

Moreover, the at least one finger guard may include three finger guards that are integrally formed with the knuckle guard. Additionally, a thumb and forefinger may be provided with another finger guard that is separate of and not directly connected to the at least one finger guard or the knuckle guard. The knuckle guard may include an index finger portion and an extended portion that are separated from each other by a gap.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, another protective glove may be structured to provide impact attenuation suitable for standard testing, e.g., to achieve a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 and/or meet the standards set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 is employed. For example, the protective glove may include a knuckle guard structured to overlie and correspond in position to a wearer's first knuckles in use. The knuckle guard may overlie a foam layer that is positioned between the knuckle guard and the wearer's first knuckles. The foam layer and the knuckle guard are not directly connected and, when aligned to define an impact attenuation region, the foam layer and the knuckle guard transmit an average force of less than or equal to 7 kN when receiving an impact energy of 5 Joules. For example, no single result used in generating the average force exceeds 9 kN.

In accordance with some aspects of the present invention, the foam layer may be made of EVA foam. Additionally, fabric layers may envelop the foam layer. The foam layer may have a thickness of less than 4 mm, and/or greater than 2 mm, e.g., 3 mm. Moreover, the knuckle guard may have a thickness of greater than 3 mm. The knuckle guard may taper toward a distal end of the glove. In addition, at least one of the fabric layers may be made of tricot.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the protective glove may include a palm portion and a dorsal portion. The dorsal portion may include means for meeting EN 13594: 2015 and/or ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. For example, the means may include a combination of a soft or medium soft durometer knuckle guard and a 3 mm thick EVA foam layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention now will be described with reference to the following figures, which illustrates but should not be found to limit the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a glove that is arranged and structured in accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure, which front view illustrates a dorsal side of the glove.

FIG. 2 is a right view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the glove of FIG. 1, which rear view illustrates a palm side of the glove.

FIG. 4 is a left view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom left perspective view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is top right perspective view of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a rear flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a simplified section through a dorsal portion of the glove of FIG. 1 taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. 9, which section illustrates a desired layering of materials.

FIG. 12 is a schematic image of a foam layer used in the layer shown in the section of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the line 13-13 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the line 14-14 in FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is a front view of another glove that is arranged and structured in accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure, which front view illustrates a dorsal side of the glove.

FIG. 16 is a right view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a rear view of the glove of FIG. 15, which rear view illustrates a palm side of the glove.

FIG. 18 is a left view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 19 is top view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 21 is a bottom left perspective view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 22 is a top right perspective view of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 23 is a front flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 24 is a rear flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 25 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the line 25-25 in

FIG. 23.

FIG. 26 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the line 26-26 in FIG. 23.

FIG. 27 is a front view of an outer guard member used on a thumb of the glove of FIG. 15.

FIG. 28 is a section taken through the outer guard member of FIG. 27 taken along the line 28-28 in FIG. 27.

FIG. 29 illustrates a plan view of a palm portion of a glove illustrating finger pad reinforcements on the index finger and the thumb.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-14 illustrate a glove 100 that is arranged and structured in accordance with certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure. The glove 100 may be an automotive glove, an industrial safety glove, a tactical glove, a hardware glove, or the like. The glove 100 differs from protective sporting gloves, such as hockey gloves and the like, in that sporting gloves are specific to different sports and structured with features tailored to the competition conditions expected to be encountered while the illustrated glove 100 provides sufficient dexterity to facilitate manual labor operations, such as picking up and holding nails, screws or the like. Moreover, the glove 100 differs from protective sporting gloves, such as hockey gloves and the like, in that the illustrated glove 100 has a slim profile that closely follows the shape of the hand while providing pinch-point protection and impact attenuating features. The slim profile of the illustrated glove 100 allows the gloved hand to work within small openings and gaps, such as would be required in automotive maintenance, for example but without limitation.

Glove Regions

The glove 100 generally includes a main body region 102 and finger regions 104. The main body region 102 extends from a proximal end of the finger regions 104 to an opening defined by a cuff 106. Thus, the illustrated glove 100 includes the main body region 102, the finger regions 104 and the cuff 106. Other configurations are possible.

With reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, at least the main body region 102 and the finger regions 104 (including the thumb region) of the glove 100 include a palm panel 110, a dorsal panel 112, and a dorsal thumb panel 114. The finger regions 104 also may include forchettes 116 positioned on the side surfaces of the pinkie finger and the index finger as well as on both sides of the ring and middle fingers. The forchettes 116 may define the crotch between the pinkie and the ring finger, the crotch between the ring finger and the middle finger, and the crotch between the middle finger and the index finger.

In some configurations, and as shown in FIG. 29, small patches 117 may be positioned on the inner surface of the palm panel 110 to provide reinforcement to the fingertip regions. In some such configurations, the small patches 117 are positioned on the index finger and the thumb. In some such configurations, the small patches 117 only are positioned on the index finger and thumb. In such configurations, the small patches 117 reinforce the palm side of the finger and thumb, which are the first portions of the glove that are likely to wear out, which providing increased tactile feel on the remaining fingers due to the reduced material thickness in those remaining fingers. The patches may be structured as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,085,498, filed on Sep. 14, 2015, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The patches may be positioned on the inside of the glove under the region that is shown in FIG. 10 as having a distinctive marked surface 118 on the index finger and on the thumb. The distinctive marked surface 118 may be formed by using pressure and heat to form a series of parallel lines along the desired region of the index finger and/or the desired region of the thumb. While a series of parallel lines are shown in FIG. 10, other configurations for the distinctive market surface are possible, including dots, hatching, angled lines, non-parallel lines, intersecting lines or other shapes.

The main body region 102 generally is formed by stitching or otherwise joining the palm panel 110 and the dorsal panel 112. The dorsal thumb panel 114 may be stitched or otherwise joined to a thumb portion of the palm panel 110 at a first join and to the side edge of the dorsal panel 112 at a second join. Thus, in the illustrated configuration, the cuff 106 is defined by the bottom edge of the dorsal panel 112, the bottom edge of the palm panel 110, and the bottom edge of the dorsal thumb panel 114. The cuff 106 may include edge binding or the like. The edge binding may reduce the likelihood of fraying or tearing while reinforcing the material in the region of the cuff 106.

Cuff Design

The glove may be provided with any suitable cuff construction. In some configurations, the glove includes an open-cuff configuration (see, e.g., FIGS. 15-22). The open-cuff configuration may have an elasticated cuff 119 that allows easy insertion and removal of the wearer's hand into the cavity of the glove. In some configurations, the glove includes a hook-and-loop closure member 121 that may be used to tighten the cuff around the wrist of the wearer. Such a configuration is shown in FIGS. 1-10, for example but without limitation.

Finger Guards

With reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 25, to provide pinch point protection, an outer surface 120 of the dorsal panel 112 may be provided with finger guards 122. The finger guards 122 may extend along one or more of back surfaces, or dorsal surfaces, of the fingers. The finger guards 122 in the illustrated configuration define raised ribs that may provide a protective element of a different material from the material positioned just below the finger guards 122.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, the finger guards 122 extend along the pinkie, the ring finger, and the middle finger. In this configuration, finger guards are not provided to the index finger and thumb. Such a configuration may be desired in some applications because the extra bulk that would otherwise be added by the finger guard 122 is not hindering movement or placement of the index finger and the thumb. In some configurations, however, the glove 100 may include finger guards 122 that extend along all five fingers. Such configurations, one of which is shown in FIGS. 15-28, may be required depending upon the industry in which the glove is designed for use. Moreover, in some configurations, the finger guards 122 may be terminated before the second knuckle regardless along which fingers the finger guards are positioned. Such configurations may be of use in gloves designed with shortened, open ended figures, such as those used in shooting activities, for example but without limitation.

A distal end 124 of one or more of the finger guards 122 may be rounded, as shown in FIG. 9. As discussed directly above, the fingers and the finger guards 122 may have a reduced length where desired and, in such cases, the distal ends of the shortened finger guards also may be rounded. Rounding the distal ends 124 of the finger guards 122 may improve dexterity for the wearer. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, at least one of the finger guards 122 may taper toward the distal end 124. Preferably, each of the figure guards 122 tapers toward the distal end 124. Tapering the distal ends 124 may improve the ability for the wearer to pick up smaller articles or insert their gloved hand into an opening with reduced risk of the distal ends 124 of the finger guards 122 catching on an edge. In some configurations, the finger guard 122 tapers from 6.5 mm to 3 mm in thickness. Other thicknesses may be used.

The finger guards 124 may be provided with flexure zones 126. As shown in FIG. 13, the flexure zones 126 may be defined by one or more gaps 130 formed through at least a portion of the thickness of the finger guards 124. In some configurations, four gaps 130 may be provided in a flexure zone 126. As shown in FIG. 9, the gaps 130 may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the respective finger of the glove 100. Other configurations are possible for the flexure zones 126. The flexure zones 126 enhance the bendability of the glove where the fingers include the pinch point protection provided by the finger guards 122.

The finger guards 124 may be formed of a thermoplastic rubber (TPR). In some configurations, the TPR may have a Shore hardness of between Shore A 10 and Shore A 60. In some configurations, the TPR may have a Shore hardness of Shore A 35 and to Shore A 45. Other materials are possible; however, using TPR with a suitably soft durometer has been found to provide advantageous properties. In particular, soft durometer Shore A materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 35 while medium soft durometer Shore A materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 35 and 60. Thus, the finger guards 124 may be soft or medium soft durometer materials.

With reference to FIGS. 27 and 28, a finger guard 125 is illustrated that is designed for use with a thumb of the glove. The finger guard 125 includes a wider base region 127 and a tapering tip region 129 that have a narrowed neck region 131 that interconnects the base region 127 and the tip region 129. At least one flexure zone 126 is defined along the length of the finger guard 125. In the illustrated finger guard 125, two flexure zones 126 are positioned along the length of the finger guard 125. In addition, in the illustrated finger guard 125, the wider base region 127 is thicker than at least a portion of the tip region 129. Other configurations are possible.

Knuckle Guards

With continued reference to FIG. 9, the glove 100 also may include a knuckle guard 132. The knuckle guard 132 extends over the region of the glove 100 that corresponds to the location of the first knuckles of the wearer. In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 also covers a distal portion of the wearer's metacarpals. In the illustrated configuration, the knuckle guard 132 includes two portions: an index finger portion 134 and an extended portion 136. The first and second portions 134, 136 may be separated from each other by a gap 140. The gap 140 may angle downwardly toward the thumb metacarpal. In some configurations, the gap 140 may angle away from the middle finger toward the cuff 106. In some such configurations, the gap 140 may be consistent in width over a majority of the length of the gap 140.

Each of the index finger portion 134 and the extended portion 136 may include a respective flexure zone 142, 144. Similar to the flexure zones 126 described above, one or both of the flexure zones 142, 144 may be defined by one or more gaps 146, 148, respectively, formed through at least a portion of the thickness of the two portions 134, 136. In some configurations, four gaps 146, 148 may be provided in one or both of the flexure zone 142, 144. As shown in FIG. 9, the gaps 146, 148 may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the respective finger of the glove 100. Other configurations are possible for the flexure zones 142, 144. The flexure zones 142, 144 enhance the bendability of the glove while the knuckle guard 132 provides protection to the first knuckle region of the wearer.

With reference still to FIG. 9, the knuckle guard 132 also includes a gap 150 that extends across a region of the knuckle guard 132 that corresponds to two or more adjacent first knuckles of the wearer. In this way, the knuckle guard 132 is better able to flex through the incorporation of the gap 150. In the illustrated configurations, the gap 150 extends only through the extended portion 136 of the knuckle guard 132. In some configurations, the gap 150 may extend through at least a portion of the extended portion 136 and through at least a portion of the index finger portion 134.

The knuckle guard 132 may be formed of a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) that is either a soft durometer or medium soft durometer material. In particular, soft durometer Shore A materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 35 while medium soft durometer Shore A materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 35 and 60. Thus, the finger guards 124 may be soft or medium soft durometer materials. Other materials are possible; however, using TPR with a suitably soft durometer (e.g., soft or medium soft durometer) has been found to provide advantageous properties. In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 and at least one of the finger guards 122 are formed in an integrated, monolithic single piece construction. In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 and at least one of the finger guards 122 are formed as completely separate components (see FIGS. 15-28).

To improve access to tight and confined spaces, the knuckle guard 132 tapers from a region of greatest thickness toward the fingers. A maximum height of the knuckle guard 132 may be between 7.5 mm and 5.5 mm. In some configurations, the maximum height of the knuckle guard 132 is 6.5 mm. In configurations where the knuckle guards 132 and the finger guards 122 are integrated into a single construction, the tapering extends from the knuckle guard 132 to the fingertips 124, where the maximum height is between 3 mm and 5 mm. In some configurations, the maximum height at the distal end 124 of the fingers is 4 mm.

Dorsal Layering for Attenuation

As discussed above, there is a desire to provide a glove configuration that results in a Level 1 PASS rating of impact attenuation under EN 13594: 2015 and/or meets the standards of ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. To provide adequate impact attenuation in a cost effective manner, the gloves 100 employ layering across an impact zone on the dorsal side (i.e., the back-of-the-hand side) of the gloves. The layering of the materials that define the protection region on the back of the hand may provide a low profile construction for the impact attenuating region. The layering further may provide a cost-effective construction for the impact attenuating region. The layering also may provide a simplified assembly process for the impact attenuating region. In some configurations, the layering may achieve all three of these goals. In some configurations, and as used herein unless understood differently from the context of its usage, the impact attenuating region is the region of the glove that correlates to the back of the wearer's hand in the first knuckle/distal portion of metacarpal region of the wearer's hand such that the impact attenuating region may protect the first knuckles and portions of the metacarpals that are adjacent to the first knuckles.

The knuckle guard 132 described directly above is on the outside of the glove 100. While a knuckle guard or other protective element may be thickened to achieve a satisfactory level of impact attenuation without layering of materials, a thickened knuckle guard or other protective element may reduce the ability of the wearer to use the glove in confined spaces; the use of layering as described herein achieves a similarly satisfactory level of impact attenuation with a lower profile and a lower cost of manufacture than simply providing a thicker knuckle guard or other protective element. In some configurations, the layering that will be described achieves a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 standard testing is employed, and also meets the standards set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019.

With reference now to FIG. 11, the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 may be secured to a first outer layer 160 of the glove 100. In some configurations, the first outer layer 160 of the glove 100 is a fabric or leather layer. In some configurations, portion of the first outer layer 160 to which the knuckle guard 132 is secured is the outermost fabric or leather layer of the glove 100 in at least the impact attenuating region of the glove 100. In the illustrated configuration, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes a mesh material. In some such configurations, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes a knitted fabric that is made of nylon and spandex. In some such configurations, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes a knitted fabric that is made of 94% nylon and 6% spandex. To provide a simple construction for the glove, in some configurations, the first outer layer 160 is made of a mesh material.

The knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122, as discussed above, may include a low durometer thermoplastic rubber material. In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 and the finger guards 122 are formed of a single piece construction such that manufacture of the glove 100 may be simplified. In such configurations, at least one of the finger guards 122 and the knuckle guard 132 may be integrated into a single piece to simplify manufacture of the glove 100. In some such configurations, three of the finger guards 122 and the knuckle guard 132 may be integrated into a single piece to simplify manufacture of the glove 100.

In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122 include a flange 162 that surrounds a main body of the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122. The flange 162 and the main body of the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 may be formed in a monolithic, single piece construction (e.g., molded as a single piece). The knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 may be secured to the first outer layer 160 in any suitable manner. The flange 162 may be used to secure the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 to the first outer layer 160. In some configurations, the flange 162 may be secured to the first outer layer 160 using high-frequency radio waves. The flange 162 has been found to increase the longevity of the connection between the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 and the underlying materials of the glove 100. The illustrated flange 162 includes cut-outs 164 or less material in the regions that overlap the bend points of the glove 100 (e.g., the regions of the glove 100 that correspond to the knuckles of the wearer). The cut-outs 164 may improve flexure of the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122.

A sponge layer 170 includes an open cell foam. The sponge layer 170 provides the outer material 160 with a bit of volume. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 has a thickness of between 2 mm and 4 mm. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 has a thickness of 3 mm. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 extends beyond the outer perimeter of the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 is coextensive with the first outer layer 160.

The sponge layer 170 is disposed beneath the first outer layer 160. In some configurations, the first outer layer 160 and the sponge layer 170 may be combined to define at least a portion of a laminate. The laminate may define the outer material in such configurations. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 is in direct contact the first outer layer 160, which first outer layer 160 is secured to the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122. In some configurations, the first outer layer 160 is positioned between the sponge layer 170 and the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122. In some configurations, the first outer layer 160 is made of a fabric or leather material and the fabric or leather material is positioned between an open cell foam sponge layer 170 and a soft or medium soft durometer thermoplastic rubber knuckle guard 132 and/or one or more soft or medium soft durometer thermoplastic rubber finger guards 122.

A second layer 172 may underlie the sponge layer 170. In some configurations, the second layer 172 is a second fabric layer. In some such configurations, the second fabric layer 172 is a tricot material. The sponge layer 170 may be positioned between the first fabric layer 160 and the second fabric layer 172. In some configurations, the first outer layer 160, the sponge layer 170, and the second layer 172 are combined to define a composite material, such as a laminate material. In some such configurations, the sponge layer 170 may be in direct contact with the first outer layer 160 and the second layer 172. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 is positioned below the outer layer 160, which outer layer 160 is made of a mesh material, and above the second layer 172, which second layer 172 is made of tricot. In some other configurations, there is no second layer 172 and at least a portion of the sponge layer 170 is in direct contact with a foam layer 174.

The foam layer 174 may be disposed between hand of the user and the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122. The foam layer 174 may be formed by any material having the desired impact attenuation properties. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 includes an EVA foam. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 is made of an EVA foam. The foam layer 174 may have any desired thickness. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 has a thickness between 2 mm and 4 mm. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 has a thickness of 3 mm. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 is between 2 mm and 4 mm and the foam layer 174 is made of an EVA foam material. In some such configurations, the foam layer 174 has a thickness of 3 mm and the foam layer 174 is made of an EVA foam material. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 is positioned below the second layer 172. In some such configurations, the foam layer 174 abuts the second layer 172. In some such configurations, the foam layer 174 is glued or otherwise adhered or cohered to the second layer 172. In some such configurations, the second layer 172 is made of tricot.

The foam layer 174 underlies the knuckle guard 132. In some configurations, the form layer 174 does not underlie the majority of the surface area of the finger guards 122. The foam layer 174 preferably extends only in the area underneath the knuckle guard 132. In some configurations, however, the foam layer extends 1-5 mm beyond the periphery of the knuckle guard 132. With reference to FIG. 12, in some configurations, the foam layer 132 includes four extensions 176 and a main body portion 178. In some such configurations, the four extensions 176 are designed to overlay the bones associated with the fingers of the wearer. While not shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 12, the distal end of the extensions 176 may extend to the distal end of the first flexure zone 126 that separates the finger guards 122 from the knuckle guard 132 (e.g., the fourth gap 130 of the proximal flexure zone 126).

An inner layer 180 may underlie the foam layer 174. The inner layer 180 may be a fabric layer. The inner layer 180 may be structured to abut the hand of the wearer. In some configurations, the inner layer 180 may be made of tricot or another suitable material. In some configurations, the inner layer 180 is a nylex fabric material. The inner layer 180 may be used in combination with one or more of the other layers to lock the foam layer 174 in position. For example, by adhering, cohering, or otherwise securing the inner layer 180 to the second layer 172, the foam pad may be locked in position along the layers 172, 180 and may be enveloped by the layers 172, 180.

Advantageously, the foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132 may be combined to create a compact layered impact attenuation construction that may be formed in a simple, cost-effective manner. The foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132 should have thicknesses such that the glove 100 featuring the foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132 aligned as described herein will meet the minimum level of impact attenuation required to allow the glove 100 to achieve a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 standard testing is employed, as well meet the standard set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019.

Palm Pads

With reference to FIG. 10, the palm panel 110 further may include padding 190. In the illustrated configuration, the padding 190 includes at least two palm pads 192. The two palm pads 192 may be connected together by a bridging region 194 for improved manufacturability. In some configurations, the pads 192 are separate components that are secured in position using a single covering piece 196. The single covering piece 196 may secure the pads 192 in position relative to the palm panel 110. In some configurations, the single covering piece 196 may be a single piece that includes a series of holes 198 that overlies each of the pads 192. The foam that forms the pads may be any suitable material that may absorb or reduce the transmission of vibrations or blows through the glove and into the hand of the wearer.

Although this disclosure has been described in the context of certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed examples to other alternative examples and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while multiple variations have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this disclosure, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the disclosure. For example, features described above in connection with one embodiment may be used with a different embodiment described herein and the combination still will fall within the scope of the disclosure. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the disclosure herein should not be limited by the particular embodiments described above. Accordingly, unless otherwise stated, or unless clearly incompatible, each embodiment of this invention may include, additional to its essential features described herein, one or more features as described herein from each other embodiment of the invention disclosed herein.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Recitations of quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics should be construed as if the term “about” or “approximately” precedes the quantity, dimension, size, formulation, parameter, shape or other characteristic. The terms “about” or “approximately” mean that quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics need not be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those of skill in the art. Recitations of quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics should also be construed as if the term “substantially” precedes the quantity, dimension, size, formulation, parameter, shape or other characteristic.

The term “substantially” means that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also interpreted to include all of the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “1 to 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but should also be interpreted to also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3 and 4 and sub-ranges such as “1 to 3,” “2 to 4,” and “3 to 5,” etc.

The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.

It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. For instance, various components may be repositioned as desired. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages are necessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined by the claims that follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective glove configured to provide impact attenuation suitable for standard testing, the protective glove comprising: at least one finger guard, the at least one finger guard being connected to a knuckle guard, the at least one finger guard and the knuckle guard being surround by a flange, the at least one finger guard, knuckle guard and the flange being integrally formed of a thermoplastic rubber; an outer layer of the glove underlying and secured to the at least one finger guard and the knuckle guard, the outer layer of the glove being formed of a knitted mesh fabric; a sponge layer underlying and connected to the outer layer of the glove, the sponge layer being formed of an open cell foam and being coextensive with the outer layer of the glove; a second layer underlying the sponge layer; a foam layer abutting the second layer and being positioned between the second layer; and an inner layer, the foam layer being encased by a combination of the second layer and the inner layer.
 2. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the foam layer comprises four extensions and a main body, and the foam layer is at least coextensive with the knuckle guard.
 3. The protective glove of claim 2, wherein the at least one finger guard comprises a proximal flexure zone, and wherein the four extensions extend to a distal end of a proximal flexure zone that separates the at least one finger guard from the knuckle guard.
 4. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the foam layer extends 1-5 mm beyond a periphery of the knuckle guard.
 5. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the foam layer is between 2 mm and 4 mm thick.
 6. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the at least one finger guard comprises three finger guards that are integrally formed with the knuckle guard.
 7. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein a thumb and forefinger are provided with another finger guard that is separate of and not directly connected to the at least one finger guard or the knuckle guard.
 8. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the knuckle guard comprises an index finger portion and an extended portion that are separated from each other by a gap.
 9. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a soft or medium soft durometer.
 10. The protective glove of claim 1, wherein the knitted mesh fabric comprises a combination of nylon and spandex.
 11. The protective glove of claim 1, at least one of the second layer or the inner layer comprises tricot.
 12. The protective glove of claim 1, the foam layer comprises an EVA foam
 13. A protective glove configured to provide impact attenuation suitable for standard testing, the protective glove comprising: a knuckle guard configured to overlie and correspond in position to a wearer's first knuckles in use, the knuckle guard overlying a foam layer that is positioned between the knuckle guard and the wearer's first knuckles, the foam layer and the knuckle guard not being directly connected and, when aligned to define an impact attenuation region, the foam layer and the knuckle guard transmitting an average force of less than, or equal to 7 kN when receiving an impact energy of 5 Joules.
 14. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein the foam layer comprises an EVA foam.
 15. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein fabric layers envelop the foam layer.
 16. The protective glove of claim 15, wherein at least one of the fabric layers comprises tricot.
 17. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein the foam layer has a thickness of greater than 2 mm and less than 4 mm.
 18. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein no single result used in generating the average force exceeds 9 kN.
 19. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein the knuckle guard has a thickness of greater than 3 mm.
 20. The protective glove of claim 13, wherein the knuckle guard tapers toward a distal end of the glove. 